Steady Enough
by Riikani
Summary: Twister didn't understand why everybody started laughing at him since Reggie started dating, something that annoyed him greatly.


_I usually don't write Rocket Power at all; haven't seen the show in ages. I blame the internet._

_Whoever owns Rocket Power, it isn't me_

* * *

Steady Enough

Twister decided he didn't like the newcomer. Of course the guy did have a name; it was Dan or something like that, but Twister didn't like him. Otto didn't like him either, Twister could see that as plain as what in his face. Squid was rather silent about the whole affair, and it was apparent he hadn't quite made up his mind yet.

Reggie, however, seemed to like _Dan_ very much. And that was the problem really. The three male friends looked in annoyance as their female friend/sister made quite a fool of herself. 'As if people would like women that fake', Twister thought hotheadedly.

Otto too seemed to be annoyed at the behavior of his sister. And at the intruder too. But that wasn't strange, Reggie was his sister!

'But!' Twister's mind cried, 'They basically grew up together; Reggie was a bit his sister too!'

And like that, Twister sunk moodily deeper in his chair at the Shore Shack, watching reluctantly the purple-haired girl flirt unabashedly with the new tall blond-haired guy with the light-tanned skin. But he, as well and Otto and Sam, knew better than to interrupt. Reggie'd have their heads!

Even Tito and Raymundo looked quietly on as Dan flirted easily with Reggie. 'Perhaps,' Raymundo thought, 'She really hadn't had enough female influence if she was that easy to catch'. He quickly pushed this thought away from his mind. In the first place, his kids now had Noelani as a motherfigure, and he really didn't like to think he'd lacked in raising his kids. Being around boys all the time musn't have helped either.

Eventually, Reggie waved goodbye to the males gathered in the shack. Raymundo had s bit of a mind to stop her from going, something about this boy made alarm-bells go off in his mind, and the accusing looks from the younger of the group told him they wanted him to do that too. But, Reggie was already deep in the 16 years old, and the shackholder knew she would go as she liked.

Tito was a bit amused at the group. The lines in his best friend's face told him off the worries he had for his eldest. The younger ones were more amusing. Otto was clearly fuming. Apparently he wasn't agreeing with his sister's choice at all; but then again when was he? Sam had a very alike look to Raymundo, mostly worry lined in his young face.

But when he looked at Twister, all he really wanted to do was laugh. The 15-year old had a look of intense displeasure and dislike on his face that really wasn't tantamount to his position. He looked as If he was doing everything he could to stay silent.

His little cousin was in no such mind: "Why the fuck did she go with him!" he shouted angrily.

Raymundo raised a brow, "Language, Rocket-boy," he scolded.

Otto spluttered, "I still think she shouldn't have gone with that weird dude. She's our Reggie," he said defiantly.

Raymundo sighed, "I like it as much as you do, but I don't think we are in any position to stop her really," he said calmly. Otto didn't look as if he agreed but say anything else. Instead it was a low mutter from the seat of Maurice Rodriquez that surprised them all.

"I wonder how blind she really is to go with that son of a bitch."

Not used to him speaking such crude words, even when angered, they gaped at him. Then Tito started laughing and the attention was switched to him. They stared at him as he gasped for breath as peals of laughter attacked him.

"Really, Twister?" he asked.

Twister narrowed his eyes, "What you're going on about?' he asked, still rather peeved, and having need to violently destroy something.

Tito grinned, "In Hawaii we have a saying: Only a storm will decide whether the house is built steady enough," he said.

Twister barely stopped himself from growling, "What's that supposed to mean?" but when Tito only smiled at him, he huffed angrily, "Whatever, I'm out of here," he said and stalked out of the little restaurant. Otto and Sam followed him rather confused.

Raymundo let his mind run over they saying of his best friend. Made up as they sometime are, there was always a piece of wisdom in them. "Only a storm will…" he trailed of, and then he shot a sharp look at his friend. "Twister?" he asked rather shocked.

Tito laughed, "Don't you find it amusing?" he asked.

And Raymundo laughed as well. Even if it was about his little girl.

* * *

Reggie started dating Dan. Steady for months now. And Twister felt his mood worsen more and more. He had snapped at Lars in a way he had never done before, fed up with him. Lars had looked at him rather astounded.

For a moment Lars wrote the mood off as hormones and growing pains, which would be logical enough as Twister was growing tall rather rapidly. But, for some reason, the mood was a bit displaced and in a strange bout of sibling-worriedness he sat down on Twister's bed as the younger of two was working on his Twister-cam.

"Qué pasa, Twister?" he asked quietly. Perhaps it was now time to become the older brother instead of the bully. Apparently this change of mind-set shocked Twister enough to have him look at him, shocked to silence. Lars rubbed his head, "Don't get me wrong, little brother, this won't become normal," he said.

Was it so wrong of him to want to act like a real brother?

Twister looked back moodily at the cam, picking up the cleaning sheet again. "Nada no hay de malo, leave me alone," he replied gruffly.

Now Lars knew there was something wrong for sure, and it wasn't bodily harm. He probably wouldn't have cared much then; that was something Twister could solve himself. "Don't lie to me," he said impatiently, "I am still a brother."

Twister turned around in his spinning chair and settled him with a glare, "So what, it's not like you ever bothered before. Why should I?" he said sharply.

Lars sighed, "Is someone bothering you at school? That's my job you know," he asked.

Twister huffed, "Sí, lo sé. And no, nobody is bothering me at school. It's all fan-fucking-tastic," he muttered the last thing almost as an afterthought.

Lars ran his brain over what had changed in the last few months, it's was more difficult now that they weren't at the same school anymore. He still hung out with those little friends of his; that he knew so he wasn't fighting with….now wait a second. Lars felt as if there quite literally a lightbulb went on in his brain. It was not that his little brother was fighting with the youngest Rocket, it was the oldest of the siblings.

Of course he had noticed the girl had gotten a boyfriend, it was hardly to miss in their little sea-shore town, and it was about when Twister's moodiness started. Lars wanted to laugh at the situation, so, like it befits an older brother, he did.

This upset Twister only more if possible, "Sure, laugh all you want. That's all what people do lately when they see me, and I don't know why at all!" he growled.

Lars stopped laughing, "So you don't _know?_ Really?" he asked. Twister didn't reply but the scowl on his face was enough answer for Lars. ´Well that changes the situation a bit,´ Lars thought amusedly to himself. He was curious to how this would pack out.

´And it would!´ Lars thought. If he was honest he hadn´t thought that that boyfriend of Reggie Rocket was suited for her. He had seen the guy on his own on the beach sometimes, and since Ocean Shores was touristic place enough there were enough girls for the guy to flirt with.

Of course Twister wouldn´t have seen it, the guy did it when he was alone, and at those times Twister was with Reggie, but that didn´t mean Lars hadn´t seen it. She was the Rocket-girl of Ocean Shore, and that meant that nobody, well almost nobody then, was allowed to hurt her. The exception of course, was him and his gang.

"Maurice," he started, and Twister looked at him curiously; Lars knew he was barely serious at all, but this was such a time. "Take my advice for once. If you aren't happy with someone else having it, snag it up yourself," he said and then he sauntered out of the room. "See ya, Twist."

He started laughing again when he heard Twister call after him, "Like I'd take your advice!"

* * *

Sam looked carefully at Twister at lunch at school. The guy had been distracted, well he was often but this time there was something else about it. Twister was picking at his food, his thoughts somewhere else completely.

Otto, of course, hadn't quite noticed; that guy could be oblivious for sure. But Sam had and he tried to figure out what is was. He had been rather touchy lately. He had even shouted at Reggie when she wanted to take her _boyfriend_ to Twister's birthday-party, like a date. To put it lightly, Twister hadn't agreed, and it had been the first time that Twister and Reggie had fought, unlike Twister and Otto.

Currently they were still on no-speaking terms. She hadn't even shown up to said party. And apparently she wasn't going to talk to Twister again unless he apologized. And the boy was in no such mind to do so.

Even Otto had said that it was rather tactless of Reggie and that said something; Otto was tactlessness personified.

But, it was clear that Twister wasn't completely comfortable with the situation. Reggie was seated a few tables further in the school-cafeteria, and Twister kept shooting glances at her and Dan, and each time his gaze darkened just a little. Sam was convinced that behind those normally blank eyes a fire sparked that hadn't been there before.

Fire? Sam backtracked. Twister shooting dark glances? Then it hit him. It was not that Twister was shooting dark glances at Reggie but at _Dan!_ He couldn't help himself, and he laughed.

Both Otto and Twister jumped up in surprise. Otto looked at Sam surprised, but Twister scowled angrily when he saw Sam looking at him. "You too, Squid? What is it with everyone laughing as soon as they see me!" he said. He slumped back on the bench "I really like to know what's up," he muttered.

Sam blinked; he thought Twister had been shooting glances so darkly because he had realized it himself. He didn't think it would be unconsciously. He had stopped laughing. Twister growled and buried his head in his arms, "And of course, as soon as I say I don't know the hell is going on, they stop laughing."

Otto seemed confused and totally lost to what was going on. "Squid?" he asked. But Sam looked carefully at Twister and sure enough the young man raised his head and glared at the couple that had taken their female companion.

Otto followed his gaze and then as he saw it´s resting point he mouth fell open. "My sister?" he said unbelievingly. "You traitor!"

Twister turned his eyes towards Otto, "Ottoman? What are you going on about?" he asked.

Sam already saw the fight coming and rested his hand on Otto's shoulder. "Otto," he said quietly, "I don't think that Twister knows yet." Otto settled him for a blank gaze and then looked back at his oldest friend who was looking at him confused but tense as if he needed to be prepared to defend himself in a fight.

Otto slumped back with a sigh, "I suppose it can't be helped, then. Besides, anyone is better than that person." But then he looked at Twister sharply, "As long as you know that if you hurt her, I won't go easy on you!"

Twister looked as confused as ever and then retreated moodily in himself, muttering "I really wish someone would just tell me the hell is going on."

Sam and Otto looked at each other and then quickly hid their chuckles. This was bound to be amusing.

* * *

Twister stalked the halls of the school angrily. What was up with everyone! First Tito with that 'Only a storm,' Hawaiian-crap. Then his brother Lars talking to him, which was on its own was strange enough, and then giving him a weird 'bout of advice; something about snagging what you want.

And now Squid and Otto! Squid too was laughing at him and explaining no shit at all, and Otto was suddenly threatening him about 'Not hurting her!'. Como, ¿Qué coño!

As he was deep in thought, he passed by a group with guys. "She still didn't let you lay her?" Twister heard. He couldn't help himself and dawdled a bit. "No man, you'd think those girls hanging around guys all the time would be frustrated as fuck!"

Twister felt something twist in his gut and a hot anger brewed up in his throat. "I mean, the only reason I date Reggie Rocket was to see whether all that sporting would make sex more extreme too, you know," he heard. The snap that was almost hearable was probably Twister's patience that had snapped.

"No, I don't know. Why don't you explain it to me," he said icily as he showed himself. The boy known as Dan visibly retreated and Twister felt rather smug he could a guy two years his senior retreat. Perhaps sporting did help.

"Well, I am waiting?" he asked.

Dan rubbed his head, "Oh come on dude, You'd snag a girl too, if she offered. A guy like you should understand, right? I mean, you basically live in the paradise," he tried.

Twister looked at him distaste, "No, I don't understand. We might live in a surfing paradise, dude, but here we are taught that women are no less than males."

Dan visibly flaundered for help but his friends had all backed away. Twister wanted to laugh at this; if he had been about to be in a fight, he knew his friends would stand beside him, even Squid. "Reggie must know right! Of course, just playing ain't hurting anyone,"

Now that was exactly the wrong thing to say. Twister didn't even know he had moved until his fist had made contact with Dan's jaw and had knocked the guy to the ground. Dan was holding his jaw in disbelief as he stared up at Twister.

"Twister!" Twister's friend called from behind but he barely noticed it as white-hot anger flowed through him, and he wanted to destroy. He wanted to hit the guy so hard that he would never ever have such thoughts again.

"Reggie is not that kind of girl!" he shouted at the guy on the ground. He only barely noticed stepping out and being held back by Sam and Otto. "Playing is hurting her! You don't know shit!" he struggled a bit. He really really really wanted to hurt him.

Dan smirked smugly, "And you would know," he said.

Twister quieted down in the arms of his friends, suddenly feeling drained, "Of course I know, I grew up with her," he said softly. "I wouldn't think of hurting her like that."

Dan laughed, "Dude, those are really messed up feelings for a brother, you are not like him," he nodded to Otto who was again struggling to hold Twister back; as angry as he was himself, he wasn't letting his friend murder anyone. "You're just a loser with a crush on his not feminine friend," Dan mocked.

Twister now roared and shook his friends off. He hit the guy again and held him down at his collar, "Take that back! Retiro lo dicho, que el hijo de puta! Reggie is a wonderful, funny and hermosa girl! You ain't worth the likes of her!"

"Maurice Rodriquez, what are you doing!" came the voice of the vice-principal, a stern older woman. "Get off him!" she said. And with a last glare Twister got off the boy he still wanted to beat to a pulp. "You are coming with me," the vice-principal said tightlipped. Then she turned to Dan, "Dan, please go see the nurse for that cheek of yours," and with that she marched off to the principal's office, Twister behind her, but his head was still high.

* * *

"Twister's suspended?" Reggie called out as Otto told her why Twister wasn't walking home with them. "Why?"

Otto looked uncomfortably at Sam, who shrugged, "He beat up Dan," the blond said simply.

The purple-haired frowned; despite that fight that they had about Dan, she didn't think he would beat up anyone without reason. "Why did he do that?"

Otto and Sam exchanged looks, they didn't know whether Reggie would believe them, but they did have to defend Twister, he wasn't an ordinary trouble-maker. "He…overheard Dan and his friends talking." Otto said slowly, "He heard some things that were not quite flattering to you and lost it."

Reggie pressed her lips together, "What did he say?" she asked slowly.

Otto waved his hands in front of his face! "Don't blame the messenger! We didn't even hear all; just something about playing around and well….he called you not feminine," he said quickly.

Reggie nodded slowly, "I see," she said, almost thoughtful. "I think I have to go." And she was off before the two boys knew it.

"Do you think we did the right thing?" Otto asked, but Sam could only raise his shoulders. He didn't know either.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Twister was lying on his bed, when he heard a knock on the door. "Can I come in?" Reggie asked softly, putting her head around the door "Your mother let me in," she said.

Twister nodded shortly as he sat up on his bed. He was suddenly a bit ashamed of his loss of control. Dan was, after all, Reggie's boyfriend. He shouldn't have reacted so strongly. Reggie sat down on the edge of the bed.

"I dumped Dan," she said.

Twister blinked, talk about dropping a bomb! "What? Why? When?"

Reggie looked a bit amused, "This afternoon. I confronted him about your fight," she said.

Twister looked away, feeling his face heat up, "So you heard about that," he said.

"Of course I did, what possessed you to fight him. I mean, I am grateful you defended my honor, but now you're suspended, and from what I caught of your mum's mutter, also under house-arrest," she said almost exasperated.

Twister shifted a bit awkwardly, "It's just a 3-day suspension, and only 2 weeks house-arrest once I explained what happened," he said softly. "More importantly, how'd you end it?"

Reggie grinned, "I went to the Nurse's office and found him there. I just actually asked him head on about his motives. I think you must have given him a concussion at least," here she ignored his muttered 'Good' "because he admitted immediately about not being serious. I slapped him and walked out," she finished.

For a moment she and Twister looked at each other, and then Twister sighed tiredly, "Good," he muttered. He then suddenly sat up, and ran his mind over what Dan had said to him, about him having a crush. He groaned silently, well that explained everything at least. His weird reaction to Reggie dating and why he beat up Dan so violently even if that was not in his character.

Then he thought back at all the past conversations he had had: Tito's 'Only a storm will decide if a house is build steady enough' clearly hinted at Reggie's relationship being the storm, and his own crush, even if he did not like to think about it that way, the house. Lars' advice about snagging up if you're not happy with someone else having it, even Otto's threat. They'd all seen it before he did.

And all he could do was laugh.

"What?" Reggie asked curiously, surely it was strange that he laughed so suddenly.

Twister shook his head, and then looked at Reggie mischievously, "Nothing, just thinking about what people told me before," he said. Then he leaned forward, "Tener cuidado, Reggie. It appears I'll be coming after you for all the right reasons," he muttered lowly.

He delighted in the blush that streaked over Reggie's face before she made an excuse about needing to be somewhere and hurried out of his room. The door slammed closed and Twister stared at it for a moment.

Then he felt back on his bed, his arms behind his bed. A silly grin made way to his face as something in his stomach fluttered. It didn't matter, he's got time.

Steady enough indeed

* * *

_Ahaha! I wanted this story to be 1000 or 1500 words at the most. I guess I enjoyed writing this more than I thought._

_Please leave me a review, alright? I made this story for the fun of it after all!_


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